50th Anniversary Reunion Wessex Volunteers TA

Lt. Col (Retd) Adrian Grazbrook writes:

1 Wessex reunion - 1 April 2017I am writing to you in connection with the 50lh anniversary reunion to mark the formation of the TA Battalion, The Wessex Volunteers, which later became 1 Wessex (in succession to 5 Glosters).

I imagine that some of you may have served with the Battalion, either as TA soldiers or Regular attached.

All the details will be found in the two enclosures to this letter(attached below).As we do not have a nominal roll It would be much appreciated if you could circulate the details to any personnel who may have served with 1 Wessex, with the request that they in turn circulate to anyone else outside the Association who might be interested.

There will be an Extraordinary General Meeting of The Rifles and Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment on Saturday 18th February 2017. It will take place at The Wyvern Club, 51 Church Walk, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 3AA. The meeting will begin at 1100 am. The purpose of the meeting is to consider and approve the new Constitution of the Association.· Many are already aware that Lt Col (Retd) Tim Lerwill and Mrs Sue Nelmes, who previously worked from the Salisbury office, have moved to Winchester. In sum Salisbury office functions are now run from Winchester. Meanwhile e-mail addresses have remained the same (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. || This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). As a result of this move Major General Nicholas Welch seeks a Project Leader / Chairman to lead on the Salisbury Officers’ Lunch. Volunteers should make themselves known to the General through either Office.· The Rifles office Taunton, with the aid of volunteers, is managing the disposal of surplus items in the possession of the RGBW Trust, stored in Gloucester. A catalogue is being prepared and will be available in due course. Once the catalogue is released there will be a period of three months during which bids will be received. Bids will be considered and awarded after the three month period has elapsed. Explanatory rules and bidding proformas will accompany the release of the catalogue.

Lastly, you would wish to be aware of the following functions taking place this year:

Dear Association Member,There will be an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting of the Association at 1100 hrs on Saturday 18th February 2017 at the Wyvern Club, Devizes, in order to agree the revised draft of the Association Constitution.Please find attached the following:a. The Calling Notice and Agendab. The revised draft Constitution.c. A suggested draft Constitution by Colonel Daly.d. The findings of the Executive Committee on both draft Constitutions.e. The draft Minutes of the Previous AGM held in Aldershot on Sat 8 October 2016 (for information only and for agreement at the next AGM)f. A letter from Maj Gen Welch Chairman of the RGBW Regimental Charities to all Former Officers and Soldiers of the RGBW Forming Regiments.Coffee and tea will be available from 1030 hrs at the Wyvern Club, Devizes, for the EGM on 18th Feb. Please note that there is very little parking at the Wyvern Club so please allow time to park elsewhere in Devizes and walk to the Wyvern Club.Please let Sue Nelmes (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 01962 828532) know whether you are able to attend the EGM ASAP. Maximum numbers at the Wyvern Club is 120 and if numbers exceed this then the EGM may have to be held elsewhere. If this does occur, then you will be informed by email and information will be placed on the Association Web sites and Facebook sites.Please note that the only issue that will be discussed at this EGM will be the draft Constitution. There will be no discussion on RGBW Trustee or other Regimental matters.Due to the lack of clerical support in the Rifles Office, Gloucester, you may receive this information more than once as every effort is being made to contact all members of the Association.Stephen Oxlade

The attached poster and Invitation from the Chairman of the Rifles Association is addressed to the Five Pillars of the Regiment, the Association being an important element of those pillars.This year, in our 10th Anniversary Year and on Salamanca Day 2017, the first of what will become an annual Rifleman's Gathering will take place at Allianz Park in London. Riflemen from the serving, forming and antecedent Regiments (and their families) are invited to this first Gathering that will take place in the evening of 22 July 2017. The Gathering will provide a fantastic opportunity to catch up with old friends and has a package of activities to match the occasion. We need to get the message out to every Rifleman to muster in numbers that befit our excellent Regiment, forged through conflict over the last 10 year.

It would be a great opportunity for members and their families of The Rifles and RGBW Association to demonstrate their support for the Regiment.The event is taking place at Allianz Park, Greenlands Lane, London NW4 1RL commencing at 16:00 hours and going on until 23:59 hours. The event is free in terms of entry, though we are asked to download and print off an e-ticket which one can do by following the hyperlink to the relevant web site: https://www.therifles.co.uk/event/the-rifleman-s-gatheringThere are more details of the event that can be gleaned from The Rifles Website: www.therifles.co.uk

The Trustees of the Rifles Regimental Charity Trust, which now incorporates the Association are prepared to consider contributing towards the cost for coaches initiating travel from Somerset, Gloucester and Salisbury to Allianz Park should the counties be able to generate sufficient interest in attending. At this point in time I have left the Royal Berkshire side of the Regimental Family out of the arrangements purely because you have your own Association function taking place on the same evening, so I trust no offence is taken by those members.It is appreciated that there will be association members who are not privy to using the Internet and we would therefore ask Branch Secretaries to publicise as much as possible through their monthly meetings.Michael CornwellChairmanThe Rifles and RGBW Regimental Association